Gli altri colori purtroppo, sono tutti caduti

The Stefano Bardini Museum presents Leonardo Meoni (Florence, 1994), Gli altri colori purtroppo, sono tutti caduti (Unfortunately, All the Other Colors Have Fallen).

Curated by Sergio Risaliti and organized by Museo Novecento in collaboration with Amanita, the project features a selection of works specifically produced for the exhibition spaces of the Bardini Museum, in close dialogue with the collection of the Florentine antiquarian and connoisseur who founded the museum.

The title of the exhibition, translated in English as "Unfortunately, All the Other Colors Have Fallen," evokes the fresco painting technique. When frescoes are poorly preserved, portions of the paint might fall away, revealing the underlying preparatory drawings. For Meoni, the gaps and sinopias represent a reflection on the hidden, yet illuminating, additional space within the composition. The perception of light is strongly tied to Meoni's artistic practice and his use of velvet, a material that absorbs light and makes the interpretation of the work ambiguous and ever-changing, dependent on the viewer's perspective. Excessive light and clarity reduce the cognitive abilities of the gaze and simultaneously dry up the spectrum of emotions, leading to a superficial reaction to the flat transparency of the signifier.

Thus, the intimate darkness of velvet implies not a negative but a positive connotation. The absence of light necessitates an effort to adapt the eye and focus on the essential elements of the work. By compelling the gaze to spend time on observation and contemplation, it becomes possible to fully grasp the essence of the work. The dark quality is linked to the artist's anti-pop impetus, which rejects an immediate reading and interpretation of the image, preferring to explore the intimate and hidden elements of representation.

La Repubblica: Ibridismo, ambiguità ed evocatività, Leonardo Meoni espone al museo Bardini

FUL Magazine: Gli altri colori purtroppo, sono tutti caduti – l’artista Leonardo Meoni al Museo Bardini di Firenze.